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Hard Skool Officially Released at Midnight - Sept 24


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Having had a night to sleep on it, here are my thoughts on the song:

I have always loved Jackie Chan/Checkmate/Hard School/Hard Skool. I loved the 15 second clip that surfaced years ago even if it was only a bit form the verse. That catchy riff behind just screamed classic GN'R to me. I liked the demo from the Village sessions, with the fantastic chorus and Axl vocals, and I love this version with its punchy attitude.

What I particularly like about this version is that it is more in your face than the demo. Short and sweet. A good rocker. Head banger. I also like that they have extended the very last chorus. Sounds better that way. And adding Slash's leads make it more GN'R sounding. reminds me of Shadow of Your Love and those early rockers. I also absolutely love the drums after Axl's scream when the breakdown ends - that quick double thud or whatever it is.

What I liked about the Village demo in comparison is primarily Josh's drums that drove the song. I really miss his drums. I always miss Josh's drums. I also liked the melodic guitar in the breakdown (Robin) and prefer them over Slash's solo and slide guitar.

I think I like the released version more than the demo, but it is a bit too soon to say. Right now novelty is competing with affection, and that's not a fair fight. I will have to give it a few days.

Regardless, I absolutely love both versions! The song definitely gets onto my top-20 of GN'R songs.

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6 minutes ago, jamillos said:

It's already starting here. The merciless, relentless comparing. With stuff from an era 30 years ago, both musically and historically. I mean, I get it, but it's not a reasonable approach, leading to happy conclusions. You might as well start comparing it to Appetite. Just pointless. 

I, for one, am certainly not comparing to Appetite-nor the Illusions for that matter. Beyond a fool's errand that would be. I am looking for aural camaraderie from these guys. I wish wholeheartedly that they gutted it out, got together and tried their damndest to making something in the present. They already pissed away decades, the least they could do is attempt it. Maybe they did-only them and those close know. 

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Slash's tone is indeed killer on these.  I was just listening to GNR's version of Sympathy and TSI? today and Absurd and HS from a Slash point of view would tone-wise fit perfectly on those.  It is cool to have him back, sometimes especially during GNR's unproductive times we can take that for granted

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1 minute ago, Cory Trevor said:

I hear #34/jcm with more bottom end than usual?

True, it has that "spankiness" that's more 800 than Jube. That's even cooler! I wonder who built the #34 he uses nowadays as I don't think he still has the exact same one from UYI, or does he?

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1 minute ago, bumfarce said:

I, for one, am certainly not comparing to Appetite-nor the Illusions for that matter. Beyond a fool's errand that would be. I am looking for aural camaraderie from these guys. I wish wholeheartedly that they gutted it out, got together and tried their damndest to making something in the present. They already pissed away decades, the least they could do is attempt it. Maybe they did-only them and those close know. 

Aural camaraderie? There hasn't been anything like that since Lies. Axl and Slash didn't work together for UYI, they wouldn't even be in the studio together. Song suggestions were brought in on tape by Izzy and then Slash and Axl added their parts separately, or Slash and Axl came in with their own songs and got the others to add to them. You are demanding something that was gone almost 35 years ago. Let go of it and your silly expectations and demands. This is as good as it gets.

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Axl was, is, and always will be, my guy out of the bunch, but this fact only makes me more aware of his faults. The guy should not be a band-leader. For years I thought it would turn out that he would prove to be such, but it's clear that he isn't. It's mismanagement from within. 

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Finally got a chance to hear the official version and what a banger it is! :headbang:

Shouldn't compare this and demo version but going to do it anyway. Demo version is great and all but I definitely prefer this version over demo version simply because the GNR feeling is much stronger in this version and that's the thing I'm craving from current lineup. Though I do still see the reasons why some might like more demo version style more. Hopefully we'll hear a lot more! 

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Just now, SoulMonster said:

Aural camaraderie? There hasn't been anything like that since Lies. Axl and Slash didn't work together for UYI, they wouldn't even be in the studio together. Song suggestions were brought in on tape by Izzy and then Slash and Axl added their parts separately, or Slash and Axl came in with their own songs and got the others to add to them. You are demanding something that was gone almost 35 years ago. Let go of it and your silly expectations and demands. This is as good as it gets.

Did I say personal camaraderie or aural? Go back and read again, my friend. You can be the worst of friends, and it can sound nothing like it when it hits tape. If you know your music history, I won't need to give you examples. And , yes; this is as good as it gets, given the constitution of the band-but it's not anywhere near as good as it should be. Just like with those closest to me, I am not going to lie and tell them that they've because they think they've done their best, that they have. I love them too dearly for that.

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1 hour ago, Mr Mini Mite said:

Dont tell me you are expecting a music video from this band... where have you been the last 20 years? :P

I wasn’t expecting any new footage or anything but they could have at least made a music video using your footage. Hell, even a lyric video would be better than the locker animation.

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19 minutes ago, Kelmi said:

So whered the alleged press release from the band? Would be normal to know whats going on with these song releases? Maybe Axl could share his thoughts a bit hum?

 

19 minutes ago, Atlas19 said:

Will it be an announcement of an album/ep today???

Fingers crossed :headbang:

Maybe in the morning, it's not even midnight yet on the west coast.

14 minutes ago, rocco said:

Slash's tone is absolutely killer on this one. What do you fellow gear nerds think, Guitar directly into the recently refurbished SIlver Jubilee? Greenbacks or V30?

Yeah I think it's Silver Jubilee into V30s.

4 minutes ago, rocco said:

True, it has that "spankiness" that's more 800 than Jube. That's even cooler! I wonder who built the #34 he uses nowadays as I don't think he still has the exact same one from UYI, or does he?

Yes he still has it.

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So how much more popular will this song be than Absurd? I think it’s taken about a month and a half for Absurd to reach 2 million views on YouTube. That had the advantage of being the proverbial first wad this band shot as it comes to a “new” song, but how do you predict this will do in comparison? 

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1 minute ago, bumfarce said:

I, for one, am certainly not comparing to Appetite-nor the Illusions for that matter. Beyond a fool's errand that would be. I am looking for aural camaraderie from these guys. I wish wholeheartedly that they gutted it out, got together and tried their damndest to making something in the present. They already pissed away decades, the least they could do is attempt it. Maybe they did-only them and those close know. 

I didn’t necessarily mean you specifically. And I do agree – in fact I’ve said it on the forum several times – that the main thing to be expected is what the actual new songs they’ve made together will sound like (or at least new renditions of their old stuff from the golden era). I never agreed with people saying the entire album should be just Axl’s CD drawer stuff with Slash solo additions (after all, he didn’t return to his parent band to play just some former guys’ decades old demos, did he). But this song is a good start (or should have been, instead of Silkworms), and I hope we’re yet to see the real alchemy in operation, aka new songs they’ve actually created together. Still, why piss on the current happiness, it’s 100 times better than Absurd. It sounds like modern GN’R, copypaste or not. 

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I still love the song. If we compare it to other older bands newer songs, it holds up really well.

I'd say it's on the same level as most of AC/DC's "Power Up", which is good because I love that album, a bit better than Foreigner's "Can't Slow Down" (song), which I also really like and it's much better than "The Dirt". 

I just hope that the following songs, if there are any, have finished vocals and have been reworked. Out of the ones that were leaked, Hard Skewl was the only one that sounded like it had finished vocals. I really wouldn't want Atlas with the vocals and arrangements we got on the leak, it just didn't feel complete.

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28 minutes ago, bumfarce said:

Shall I get my post count up to 500 or thereabouts?

I think you're well on track to achieve that already! Listen, I don't disagree with your sentiment about this copy and paste job recording. It stinks to me as well. But, and I hate this saying... it is what it is. If that's how GNR want finish their career... that's up to them really. 

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2 minutes ago, Ak1nney said:

I think I love this song because I only heard the leaked version like once and didn't obsess over it. This sounds fresh, the guitars are insane, and I love the vocals. Duff's into is killer too.

Do yourself a favor and don't listen to the leak ever again, especially not the drumming, I made a big mistake.

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